Atonement

Atonement Hotel Tilney

As a tiny piece of trivia in the book that adds to McEwan's theme of literary history and his inspiration from Jane Austen's "Norhtanger Abbey," notice that in 1999, the Tallis manor has been renovated and is now "Hotel Tilney."

The opening excerpt from NA is a letter sent to Catherine Morland from Henry "Tilney," where she is being reproached for imagining literary horrors taking place in a well-protected English setting.

Atonement Questions and Answers

That is the main question of the novel. Does Briony finally achieve her atonement by writing her story and keeping her lovers and allowing their love to survive? I'm not convinced Briony does this. Briony is losing her innocence from the moment...